Healthy Grilled Eggplant Recipes

This lovely Mediterranean orzo salad is rich with basil, grilled vegetables and tender fresh mozzarella cheese. The combination of vegetables, vinaigrette and fresh basil is a perfect base for the orzo and the cheese.

Master this simple grilled eggplant recipe and you'll have the foundation for all sorts of healthy summer dishes. Serve the eggplant slices as a side with grilled chicken, fish or meat; add grilled eggplant to a salad; stuff it into sandwiches; chop it and top pizza with it; stir it into pasta dishes or grain bowls--the possibilities are almost endless.

The combination of slightly smoky grilled eggplant and sweet tomatoes is delightful. The eggplant-tomato mixture served over whole-wheat pasta with fresh basil and a bit of salty cheese makes an easy, healthy weeknight dinner.

Grilled eggplant and sausage are paired with chopped fresh tomatoes and served over creamy polenta in this easy summer dinner. Swap the polenta for whole-wheat pasta for a faster meal.

The sweet flavor and plump flesh of ripe tomatoes are a natural fit with the silky texture that eggplant gets from grilling. You can get the same effect by broiling the eggplant for about 4 minutes per side. Serve over creamy polenta for an easy healthy dinner, or swap in whole-wheat pasta for the polenta for a faster weeknight supper.

This easy grilled eggplant salad is the healthy side dish you'll want to serve all summer long. It comes together in just 25 minutes and can be served warm or at room temperature, so it's equally suited to casual parties and weeknight dinners. The combination of eggplant, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, red onions and fresh herbs makes for a salad that's full of bright flavors and colors. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish or as part of a vegetarian mezze platter with dips like hummus and pita bread.

The homemade balsamic reduction is the key to this healthy grilled eggplant and summer squash salad. It's easy to make but watch the vinegar as it reduces; it can burn easily. If you have any left over, drizzle it on strawberries.

This cheeseburger and eggpant Parm fusion recipe is a winning combination. Breaded eggplant slices are topped with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a delicious grilled lean beef burger--it's American classic meets Italian restaurant favorite! To make it a complete meal, serve with spaghetti with a side of steamed vegetables.

Make use of your entire grill surface the next time you're grilling chicken, fish, or pork. These vegetables are simple to prepare and cook on the grill alongside your main dish. They're topped with a delicious herbed vinaigrette and make a wonderful low-calorie side dish.

Eggplant parmesan is always a special treat, but it's even better served up on a slice of grilled focaccia bread!

Dolma are stuffed vegetables common from the Mediterranean all the way to Central Asia. This easy recipe pairs ripe tomatoes with a ground beef filling that's lightened with eggplant and onions. Serve the stuffed tomatoes as a starter or double up for a main dish.

Grilled eggplant slices topped with goat cheese and pine nuts are served on a bed of spinach and arugula with a homemade, chunky tomato sauce.

In this vegetable side dish, the Italian sauce agrodolce translates to sour ("agro") and sweet ("dolce"). Pro tip: It's as delicious on grilled summer vegetables as it is on bitter greens and roasted winter squash. Here, grilled eggplant acts like a sponge, soaking in that addictive sweet-sour sauce as it rests. No baby eggplant? No problem. Cut large eggplant into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Typically, pressed sandwiches are a celebration of many meats. Here, we've opted for grilled eggplant slices, artichokes and arugula to make a satisfying vegetarian version. Giardiniera, a type of Italian relish typically made from bell peppers, celery, carrots, cauliflower, olives, vinegar and spices, perks up the flavors of any sandwich. You can use convenient prepared giardiniera or homemade. Choose a hot or mild version, depending on your preference for heat.

Whole-grain tortillas are filled with grilled vegetables, quickly returned to the grill and then served with a fresh cilantro pesto.

This veggie platter is a perfect side dish for any gathering. Vegetables like asparagus, mushrooms, Japanese eggplant and fennel are marinated and then grilled to perfection.

Grilled eggplant slices topped with smoky Gouda cheese and herb-seasoned tomatoes make these vegetarian burgers into a dinner that even meat-lovers would enjoy.

We've divided the tofu and veggies onto separate skewers because the tofu is delicate and sticks to the grill more easily than the eggplant and zucchini. If you like, swap halloumi cheese for the tofu for another twist on this combination.

Eggplant's meaty texture is a delicious vegetarian stand-in for the lamb that typically fills a gyro sandwich. The vegetable absorbs the lemony-herby-spicy marinade like a sponge, so if you have time, let it marinate for the full day.

In this quick grilled vegetable side dish recipe, tart sumac lends a slightly fruity but sour flavor. Paired with the garlicky mayo, it's delicious served alongside grilled fish. If you can't find sumac, try using cumin or paprika instead.